But I don't, and nor do most of my colleagues in Virgin - and we do OK for money compared to most! Degrees are certainly not necessary to obtain a decent living, and it's perfectly correct to say that you can earn the money you need if you want to, and you're physically fit enough.
Right now the building trade is having a real purple patch; there are nowhere near enough brickies, chippies and plumbers and so the wages are very good for skilled, reliable tradesmen. If you want to earn the money to pay for your training in reasonable time (and you don't have the entrepeneurial talent to make money by selling things), then get yourself a skill that's in high demand yet doesn't need loads of investment (either money or time).
Scroggs